Spring for automobiles, &amp;c.



gnlA. LIEB. SPRING FOR AUTOMOBILES, 6w. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1908.

922, 169. Patented May 18, 1909.

64 j 0% mm atom anemia exclusion of spiral springs.

unrrno STATES PATENT OFFICE.

s ecification 0! Letters Patent.

Patented may 18, 1909.

Application filed December 4, 1008. lertnl No. 468,988.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. LIED, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the boron h of Manhattan, city, county, and State of cw York, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Springs Adapted More Es eciallylfor Use Upon Automobiles,

Althoug Usa e in Many other Connections.

It is not generally known why leaf springs,

so-called, are employed in the construction of automobiles and vehicles generally to the The principal reason is that as the vehicle, when moving ra idl encounters obstructions in the roadbe t e wheels and the chassis, or body, move differently, the former being light and under the impulse of the springs take immediate co nizance of an irregularity in the road, w ereas the b0 y or chassis having greater inertia maintains its former position more continuously until the action of the springs under theinfluence of the inequalities in the roadbed induces a vibratin or oscillating action between the parts invo ved which, in the event ofa succession of irregularities in the roadbed, generates so much movement as to tend to rupture some parts of the struotureand also to unseat the pas sengers. In order,thercfore, to control such continued vibration or oscillation, the leaf springs are preferred to spiral s rings, because of the friction between t 1e several leaves of the sprin which acts as a brake upon. their action, aving, to a'degree, the same effect as shock absorbers on automobiles, their operation being the same as the friction enerated between the leaves of the spring; t at is to say, they impede or rather render slug ish the resiliency ofv the metal which won otherwise be so pronounced as to produce objectionable results, as statedare employed. But in the making of these it has been customary to roll bar sprin steel into a flattened or ribbon like form which is thhn cut into roper lengths for .the individual leaves 0, the springs and then additionally rolled so as to reduce the thickness of the ends. This process of ref peatedly rolling the metal chan es its atomic structure because the metal w ich is upon the edges of the leaves has necessarily to move more than the metal constituting the central portions of the leaves. Consequently the atomic structure at the edges is difierent from that of the central portion and this lack of uniformity engenders crystallization when the springs are in use, resulting ifiltimately in fracture, bending or other deeets.

My invention, therefore, consists in a new and useful method in which to construct the leaves of such spri s whereby I preserve the desired frlctiorlifi contact between the several leaves and indeed increase the same, and at the same time avoid the objections resultin from repeated rolling of the metal.

Un er the preferred form of my invention I make the leaves of the springs from a sethat they may be rigidly held in position so that their ends shall not become displaced, I prefer to deflect them at their central portions, as illustrated, and I also use this same method at one end of the springs when my invention is employed in so-called quarter elliptic springs. I also prefer to so roll the metal that there shall be interlocking sur-' faces between the several bars whereby the friction is increased in addition to the additional surface thus obtained because of the wedge-shape of the contacting parts of adjaeent leaves.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 illus trates an elevation, artly in section, of a full elliptic spring em odying the invention; Fig. 2 illustrates a plan view of the central portion of the upper leaf of the upper half of the spring; Figs. 3 and 4 and 5 illustrate modified constructions.

1 represents one of the side bars in an automobile chassis, or the sills in a coach body, or other vehicle, 2 re resents the axle, 3, 3; the two halves of a fu l elliptic spring. Each leaf of the spring, instead of being composed of a series of bars, 4, 4, 4, 4, shown best in Fig. 2, and in end view in Fig. 4. The bars which constitute each leaf are cut all of the same length and are set side by side, as shown in Figs. 3- and 4 and 5 and are confined in lace by the usual clip 6, with compression p ate 7 and nuts 8,

ries of bars placed side by side and in order made of a single solid plate-like part, is

by a centralholt ll and additional bolts l2 which pass through and engage with clamp ing plates 13 and 14; and also in order to retain the extremities of the bars in proper relation to each ol'her, l prefer that the bars of adjoining leaves should be shaped, as shown in F1 3 and 5; that is to say, the surfaces are s own in Fi 3 in the form of a V-shaped groove 15 an in Fig. 5 they are shown in the form of a semi-circular recess 16, in which the circular surface of the adjoining ,bars nests or fits. The ends of the bars composing the leaves may be either of full size or taper as desired and in the case of the wedge-shaped interlocking surfaces, I prefer that the ends of the bars be tapered laterally to a point so to get more smooth fienure. Instead of deflecting the bars, or employing any of the means shown for holding, them in position, they may he soldered or briized together at the center of elliptic or half elliptic springs and at the fixed end of quarter elliptic springs. This construction will he preferred where it is desired to save space.

It will be noted that in this new form of spring secure not only the uniform atomic structure in the metal referred to above, but retain also, indeed materially increase; the frictional or braking action between the several leaves constituting the spring; also I cure two importantadditional advantages, that is to say: upon hillsides and where the wheel on one side of the vehicle encounters a rock or a. gutter or other obstruction which the wheel on the opposite side does not an counter, then there is in addition to the usual compressing strains a transverse torsional or racking strain which tends to twist the springs, and it is these racking strains more than the uniformly compressing strains which fracture the leaves of springs as now used; and it will be noted that owing, to my construction the torsional strain exerted upon the leaves of the spring when transverse or rackin strains occur are relieved, because the individual bars constituting the leaves of my springs which are subjected to such strains can yield readily without undue strain. Oonsequently torsional or twisting strains upon the leaves do no injury and in addition there is the frictional contact between the lateral sides of the bars constituting each leaf as well as the frictional contact between their upper and lower-surfaces.

In addition to the advantages above reof superposed leaves, each leaf being formed ferred to, my invention possesses an advantage of marked importance from a .n anu featuring stand oint, that is to-say, can make springs 0 any width, in other words,

any power desired, from the same size rods or hols by simply increasing or decreasing the number of the bars, in other words the width of the leaves, thus avoiding the neccssily l'or carrying in stock a. large amount of material us heretofore necessary,

In the drawings hereof l have not at tempted to illustrate the specific form or construction of the parts referred tin because they are of endless variety, depending upon the character and special construction of the said parts in different vehicles. 1 have merely indicated the parts and their coactive operation and location suiliciently to enable those who are familiar with such matters to fully imdcrstand the invention and its method of operation; and of course it will be understood that the ends of the longer or inner leaves are to be rolled over to form the usual eye'to engage with the usual crossbolt.

Obviously modifications in the construction andto a certain extent in the arrange ment of the parts may be made without de parting from the essentials of the invention. l therefore do not limitmyself to that which l have specifically described and illustrated.

1 claim:

l- A vehicle spring composed of a series of superposed leaves, each leaf being iormed of a series of bars placed side by side, for the purpose set forth.

- 2. A vehicle spring composed of a series of superposed leaves, each leaf being formed of a series of hers placed side by side, the

engaging surfaces of the bars of adjoini'n leaves being so formed as to interlock wit each other, for the purpose set forth.

3. A vehicle spring composed of a series of superposed leaves, each leaf being formed of a series of bars placed side by side, the

central portions of the bars being deflected and means whereby the deflection, of the bars will tend to hold them in purpose set forth.

4-. A vehicle spring composed of a series of superposed leaves, each leaf being formed of a series of bars placed side byside, the engaging surface ot the bars of adjoiriin leaves being so formed as to interlock wit each other, the central portions of the bars being deflected and means whereby the deflection of the bars will tend to hold them in place. for the purpose setforth. i

5. A leaf for a vehicle spring com need of a series of bars placed in frictionel eontact. with each other laterally portions of the bars being deflected where y they may be hleld to one another, for the purposeset fort l. u i

6. A vehicle spring composed'of a. series place, for the of a series of bars placed in frictional contact with each other side by side, the engaging surfaces of the bars of adjacent leaves being so formed as to interlock with each 1 8. A vehicle spring composed of superollier, whereby the friction between SIdJOlIll posed leaves, each consisting of a plurality mg leaves is increasedof separately movable bars.

7. A vehicle spring composed of a series In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 of superposed leaves, each leaf being formed name to this specification in the presence of 15 of a SGIIBS of bars placed side by side, the two suhsvribing witnesses, liars being deflected at some part of their CHARLES A. LIEB. length and means 10 engage with the said \Vitnesses: deflection whereby the several bars may he F. M. DoUshAcH, |o held in proper relative position. 1 PHILLIPS ABBOTT. 

